Honey fungus, also known as honey fungus or hedge fungus, is a fungus that occurs in large numbers in many regions of Germany. About seven species are known in this country, but they all look very similar and laypeople can hardly tell them apart.
Honey fungus is edible for us, but deadly for trees
Honey fungus destroys entire forests
Due to its parasitic way of life, honey fungus is not popular with foresters and winegrowers: the fungus can grow extremely large and very old - in fact, the largest creature in the world is honey fungus, which has spread over an area of 880 hectares in Oregon and there initially has caused mysterious forest dieback - and infests all woods it can reach.
Honey fungus is not picky
The fungus is not choosy at all: Thanks to its wide range of hosts, you can find it on both deciduous and coniferous trees, on hedges as well as on woody shrubs and even on potatoes. It infests both dead and diseased wood and even penetrates healthy trees if a wound or similar presents an opportunity. The parasite thrives particularly well in warm and humid weather. Basically, you can find honey fungus on every wood, only on the yew (Taxus) and the silver fir (Abies alba) no infection has yet been detected.
How to recognize an infestation with honey fungus
You can recognize a honey fungus infestation long before the first fruiting bodies appear. Once these appear, the cause of wilting, poor growth, and peeling bark should be identified. As the subterranean fungus works its way up from the roots and under the bark, it destroys the cambric, as the tissue between the wood and the bark is called, on its way. As a result, the bark peels off, under which you can finally see a white, flat mycelium. If the infestation is severe, honey fungus causes white rot, which eventually puts the affected tree in danger of breaking.
prevention and control
The only way to combat it is to completely clear the infested tree(s) - in this way you deprive the fungus of its food base and also prevent it from spreading further. When it comes to prevention, you should make sure to keep your trees in the garden as healthy and pest-free as possible. Honey fungus prefers to infest already weakened trees and shrubs.
tips
Honey fungus is also an excellent edible mushroom, although poisonous when raw. Harvest the young hats and boil them for at least ten minutes before each use. Then discard the cooking water.